630: Lu Xueqi and Biyao (13)

"Town Yue Tower was built in ancient times; how could it not have a few secret escape routes?"

"This secret passage leads to a hidden water vein deep beneath the tower."

"The water vein connects to an underground river that leads directly to the East Sea."

"We can leave by water and avoid any prying eyes that might still be lurking nearby."

"Inside the tower, there are several small submersible boats driven by Formations. They are fast and stealthy, perfect for our current situation."

Lu Xueqi looked at the unconscious Bi Yao.

"There is no time to lose; let us depart now."

Su Han nodded.

He carefully picked up Bi Yao and wrapped her securely in soft fabric.

Elder Mu walked into the secret passage first.

Lu Xueqi held her sword, guarding the rear.

Su Han carried Bi Yao, following closely behind Elder Mu.

The secret passage was dark and deep, with damp and slippery stone steps.

Fluorescent stones embedded in the walls emitted a faint glow, barely illuminating the path ahead.

The air was filled with damp moisture and a faint, musty smell.

The group moved downward in silence.

Only the sound of footsteps and suppressed breathing echoed within the narrow space.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour.

The view suddenly opened up before them.

They arrived at a small underground grotto.

In the center of the grotto was a deep pool of water.

The water was pitch black and bottomless.

By the side of the pool, there were indeed three small boats, shaped like shuttles and about two zhang long.

The hulls were made of some unknown Materials, shimmering with a faint metallic luster, and covered in intricate runes.

Elder Mu walked over to one of the boats and inspected it.

"Fortunately, the Formation core is intact, and there are enough Spirit Stones."

"Two boats will be enough for us."

"Young Friend Su, you and Miss Bi Yao take one boat, and Miss Lu and I will take the other; that way, we can look out for each other."

Su Han and Lu Xueqi had no objections.

Carefully placing Bi Yao on the specially designed soft seat inside the submersible, he fastened the securing straps.

Su Han sat down as well.

Elder Mu and Lu Xueqi boarded the other submersible.

Elder Mu skillfully activated the submersible's Formation.

The runes on the hull lit up one by one, emitting a low hum.

A layer of pale blue light spread from the bow to the stern, enveloping the entire submersible.

"This is a water-repellent shield; it can also isolate our aura and conceal our tracks," Elder Mu explained.

"Sit tight."

The two submersibles slowly sank into the deep pool.

The cold pool water washed over the light shield, and their vision was immediately shrouded in darkness.

Only the faint light from the submersible's own runes and the pale blue halo of the shield illuminated a small area of water ahead.

The submersibles began to accelerate, speeding along a wide underground river channel.

The water was smoothly parted by the light shield, and they felt almost no resistance.

Su Han looked back at the path they had come from.

The direction where Town Yue Tower stood had long since vanished.

There was only endless dark water.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the unconscious Bi Yao beside him.

Her face was as pale as paper, her long eyelashes tightly closed, and her breathing was weak but steady.

The soul-stabilizing pearl between her brows, though dim, was still flickering steadily.

Su Han felt slightly relieved.

He reached into his robe and touched the ancient tortoise shell.

The tortoise shell was ice-cold, but the moment his fingertips touched it, a faint, fleeting warmth seemed to pass through it.

Fragment of the Key to the Return Ruins...

The black shadow's roar, full of greed and fear, still echoed in his ears.

What exactly is this thing?

How could it have a connection to Bi Yao?

Is the strange condition of "fading vitality" on Bi Yao related to this as well?

Questions swirled in Su Han's mind.

But he knew that now was not the time for deep reflection.

The priority was to reach Falling Star Lake as quickly as possible to let Bi Yao find true peace and treatment.

The submersibles sped silently through the underground river.

Occasionally, the shadows of huge underwater creatures swept past, but they were all avoided by the submersibles' concealment Formations.

Time seemed to blur as it passed in the silent depths.

He did not know how long had passed.

A faint light appeared ahead.

The light gradually expanded, turning into an exit.

The underground river merged into a wider body of water here.

The moment the submersible rushed out of the exit, Su Han felt a slight sense of weightlessness.

The view suddenly opened up.

They had arrived beneath the vast East Sea.

Above was the deep blue seawater, where daylight could be faintly seen filtering down, forming swaying pillars of light.

Below was an even deeper darkness, as if leading to a bottomless abyss.

Various strange-looking fish, glowing algae, and huge coral reefs existed silently all around.

This was a mysterious and beautiful world, completely different from the land.

But at this moment, no one had the mood to admire this underwater spectacle.

Elder Mu controlled the submersible, adjusted the direction, and headed southeast.

The submersible with Lu Xueqi followed closely behind.

The two submersibles, like two silent undercurrents, sped through the deep sea.

Occasionally, they encountered the territories of powerful sea beasts.

Elder Mu always cautiously steered the submersibles around them to avoid unnecessary conflict.

On the way, Bi Yao woke up once.

Her eyes were dazed, as if she did not know where she was.

Seeing Su Han, she relaxed slightly and spoke weakly.

"Did we... escape?"

Su Han held her hand and said softly.

"Yes, we are safe for now."

"How are you feeling?"

Bi Yao shook her head gently.

"Very tired... It feels like... I had a very long dream..."

"In the dream... there was a... black sea... calling to me..."

Before she could finish, she fell into a deep sleep again.

Su Han's heart sank.

A black sea...

The Return Ruins?

He remembered the black shadow's words and the dark vortex that consumed everything that the tortoise shell had manifested.

Could Bi Yao's dream be related to this?

The unease in his heart grew stronger.

Could the Falling Star Lake that Elder Mu mentioned really solve all of this?

The submersibles continued forward.

According to Elder Mu, Falling Star Lake was located in a special sea area deep within the East Sea.

The hydrology there was complex, with turbulent undercurrents, and it was shrouded in natural mist and chaotic magnetic fields.

Even the most experienced fishermen and seafarers rarely approached that area.

This also kept the legend of Falling Star Lake shrouded in a veil of mystery.

After traveling for several more hours.

The color of the surrounding seawater began to change.

From deep blue, it gradually took on a faint, dreamlike purple hue.

The creatures in the sea also became significantly scarcer.

The fish occasionally seen were increasingly strange in form, some even emitting a faint fluorescence.

"We have entered the range of the 'Sea of Lost Paths'."

Elder Mu's voice came through a simple sound transmission Formation.

"The magnetic field here is chaotic, compasses are ineffective, and it is not marked on any sea charts."

"Only by relying on a specific star-guiding technique can one find the correct route at specific times."

"Fortunately, it is now midnight, when the 'North Star' is high in the sky; it is the best time to enter."

Su Han looked up.

Through the deep blue seawater and the submersible's light shield, stars could be faintly seen twinkling in the sky.

Among them, one star in the north seemed particularly bright.

Elder Mu controlled the submersible and began to move along a strange trajectory.

Sometimes moving left, sometimes right, and sometimes even briefly retreating.

The surrounding purple seawater grew thicker and thicker.

(End of Chapter)